Not His Best Idea Ever
by Griddlebone
Summary: The one where Scott and Summer pretend to be married to get the Landsdowns off her back.


Note: This was originally written for TheSecondBatgirl for the ship swap fic exchange.

-x-

Summer Landsdown was full of surprises. Scott had been working with her ever since Dr. K formed the R.P.M. team, and in all that time she hadn't dropped even the slightest hint of her true identity. She'd just been Summer: Ranger Yellow, the glue that held the team together, a young woman as bright and warm as her name. Now, he was being forced to realize that she was much more than she had appeared.

In retrospect, he should have seen it coming. She had never gone out of her way to say, "by the way, I made some kind of secret deal with my unbelievably rich parents so they'd let me be a Power Ranger," but she hadn't hid her name from them, either. He just hadn't put two and two together and figured out that Summer might be one of _those_ Landsdowns.

But now _those_ Landsdowns were here, in his garage, following Summer into the lab and bickering with her about holding up her end of some agreement. And while Scott would ordinarily have left well enough alone, Dillon's outrage on Summer's behalf was starting to make the place feel like a ticking time bomb. Scott wasn't sure who would blow first –Dillon, the Landsdowns, or Summer– but he knew someone had to step in before things really went south.

"Dillon," Scott cut in, wishing he could somehow just make Dillon understand that it wasn't their place to meddle in this. "That's Summer's _family_."

"I don't care who they are," Dillon retorted with his typical lack of tact. "No one comes in here and tells Summer what to do."

"Listen." Scott was quickly running out of patience. If Dillon didn't get the message now, he swore he'd drag him out of here himself. Scott didn't like the idea of Summer's place on the team being compromised any more than Dillon did, but he understood family trouble a lot better. At least he knew not to make the problem worse by shouting his opinions at everyone.

"This is between her and them," Scott went on when he realized that Dillon might actually be listening. "If she's promised them that she'll, I don't know, go back to school, or go back home…"

"Or get married," Summer cut in, looking a little sheepish.

"Right," Scott agreed.

And then what she'd said actually sank in, and all thoughts of non-interference shot right out of Scott's head.

It was one thing for Summer's parents to try and interfere with her life, just like anyone else's parents might. But to make her get married when she obviously didn't want to? Maybe Dillon was onto something after all. Without stopping to think about what he was doing, he looked her father dead in the eye and said, "But Summer's already married. To me."

Pandemonium.

He might just as well have told them he was really Venjix in disguise.

But between the Landsdowns' shock and their teammates' understandable confusion, Summer managed to squeeze in beside him. She slipped her hand into his and flashed him a grateful look. "I don't know whether to punch you or kiss you!" she whispered before turning back to face her parents. In all honesty, he'd just blurted out the first bad idea that popped into his head. But as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he'd been afraid she might get angry with him for saying something stupid like that and making the situation even worse.

"But you aren't even wearing rings," Mrs. Landsdown pointed out.

Scott tried not to wince. Luckily, Summer had his back. "We don't exactly make a lot of money as Power Rangers, Mom," she explained, far more gently than Scott would have. "We decided rings could wait."

Obviously the Landsdowns were more than displeased with this development. "But Summer!" they burst out, almost at the same time. "We had a deal!"

"I promised I would get married," Summer began, gripping Scott's hand hard enough to make him wish she'd let go. He hadn't realized she was quite that strong.

"Yes, to Chaz Winchester!" her mother wailed.

"And I did," Summer concluded. "Just not to Chaz."

_Chaz? _Scott thought. _What kind of fool name is Chaz?_

Probably the same kind of fool as her rich, out of touch parents. Scott's mind raced, trying to find some way to convince them and get Summer out of this idiotic agreement she'd made with her parents. He hoped the rest of the Rangers, especially Dillon, would have enough sense to take the hint and back them up.

"But the agreement was to marry _Chaz_," Mrs. Landsdown emphasized. "Not some middle class…" She trailed off, gesturing futilely.

It felt like Summer was going to crush Scott's hand. "Well it's too late now," Summer protested.

"Prove it," her father challenged.

Scott felt like a fool; he should have known they'd want proof, proof he and Summer couldn't possibly give them. They had only just thought up this ruse on the spot, they hadn't had any time to come up with ways to back it up…

And then Dr. K came stalking into the lab proper, with Ziggy hot on her heels, looking even more irritated than usual. Scott could have sworn Ziggy was standing next to Dillon and Flynn, watching the fireworks, but he didn't have time to dwell on that. Dr. K was obviously furious. Of the Rangers, she demanded, "What exactly is going on here?" Looking haughtily over the Landsdowns, she frowned. "And you. You don't have the proper security clearance to be in here."

The Landsdowns protested vehemently, but Dr. K was surprisingly indomitable. Somehow, between Dillon's menacing glares and Dr. K's insistence, they managed to get the Landsdowns to retreat back into the garage. Scott stuck close to Summer, but managed to extract his hand from hers along the way, so she wouldn't wind up breaking it. When everyone was more or less settled around the table in the garage's common area, the now thoroughly exasperated Dr. K said, "Now. Someone explain to me what is going on."

Everyone started talking at once. Dr. K glowered at Ziggy, as if this were all somehow his fault. Sighing, she said, "One at a time, please."

Astonishingly, everyone shut up at once. "Ranger Operator Series Red, you start," Dr. K said. Magnanimously.

Scott swallowed, trying to think of something to say.

"Maybe I should start," Summer said. "I'm sorry I never told any of you what was going on, or who I really was." Dr. K's bored look told them loud and clear that, unlike the other Rangers, she'd held no illusions about Summer's true identity. "But before I became a Power Ranger, I… came to an agreement with my parents. I told them that if they let me live my own life for a year, that I'd get married." She winced slightly. "To Chaz Winchester."

Scott was seriously beginning to wonder who this Chaz guy was, and why the Landsdowns were so desperate for their daughter to marry him when Summer seemed so very disinterested. "And then when I told them she'd already married me, they flipped out," he piped up.

Straight-faced in the wake of the Landsdowns' renewed outrage, Dr. K's only response was a terse, "I see." She turned to the Landsdowns. "And what do you have to say about this?"

"She broke her promise!" Mrs. Landsdown insisted. "She said she'd marry Chaz! She gave us her word!"

"Who cares?" Dillon demanded. "What right did you have to tell her what to do, anyway?"

With infinite patience in the face of Mrs. Landsdown's tantrum and Dillon's temper, Dr. K explained, "You're too late. Without an agreement in writing, which you don't have, you can't force her to get a divorce so she can marry the man you chose for her. Now, if you are done wasting my Rangers' time…"

"How could she get married and not even tell us?" Mr. Landsdown wondered. At least he seemed to be a bit calmer than his wife. "There wasn't even a notice in the newspaper!"

"We wanted to keep things quiet," Scott insisted.

"And we knew you wouldn't approve," Summer murmured, staring down at the table.

It bothered Scott more than he would have liked to admit that his pretend-wife's parents did not approve of him. What, he wasn't good enough for Summer because he didn't have money?

"If I give you proof," Dr. K began, "will you leave?"

The Landsdowns, including Summer, looked at her in surprise, then slowly nodded.

Dr. K stood up. "Then follow me."

She led Mr. and Mrs. Landsdown back up to the lab, all five of the Rangers trailing along behind in confusion. Once there, she directed them to one of the computer terminals, and proceeded to hack her way into the official record, where she handily produced a copy of the marriage certificate for a wedding that had never happened. It clearly stated, including all the official stamps and signatures, that Summer and Scott had married nearly three months ago.

"And there you have it," Dr. K concluded as the Landsdowns scrutinized the document on the screen. Without giving them much time to actually inspect it, she demanded, "Are you satisfied now?" She blanked the terminal screen and swiveled her chair to glare defiantly at Summer's parents.

Both of them sputtered for a moment, clearly quite unhappy to be confronted with irrefutable proof of their daughter's marriage.

Before Scott could stop him, Ziggy sidled up next to them. "I can see that you still don't believe that Summer broke your agreement. But it's been a long time since you last saw her, right? Maybe you just need to get to know her and Scott better, and then you'll understand how much they love each other."

For once, nobody said anything. The look on Mr. Landsdown's face said that he wished Ziggy and the other Rangers were far away, so that he and his wife could manipulate their daughter as they saw fit.

"So go spend the afternoon with them," Ziggy suggested, deliberately and obnoxiously oblivious to the Landsdowns' distaste. "It'll probably only take a few minutes, maybe an hour. And then you'll see how sickening it really is. Really, if you could just have seen them a couple of days ago…" He grinned impishly. "It was particularly awful."

Scott was liking the sound of this less and less. In fact, it was starting to sound downright horrifying. He should have known that Ziggy's "help," as well intentioned as it might be, would turn out to be more trouble than it was worth.

He had the sudden mental image of kissing Summer. Awkwardly. In front of her parents. And completely failing to convince anyone of this charade, and making a fool of himself besides.

He might be willing to jump in and lie to Summer's parents to get them to leave her alone, but he wasn't sure he could actually pull off pretending to be married to her. Flirting with each other once in a while was fun, but he was too busy being a Power Ranger to have really considered a relationship with Summer, and he was pretty sure she felt the same way about him.

But he was definitely sure about one thing: Summer was worth it. And so he'd give it his best shot. "Yeah," he said as confidently as possible. "We already took care of Venjix's latest scheme today, we can afford a little downtime this afternoon."

The Landsdowns looked at him skeptically, and Summer seemed to share their uncertainty. "Are you sure?" she asked. She glanced to Dr. K. "I mean, what if –"

"We've got everything covered here," Flynn supplied, elbowing Dillon out of a particularly angry glare of disapproval. "You two go enjoy yourselves!"

"Yes," Dr. K said shortly. "And take _them_ with you."

Without further ado, Ziggy ushered Scott and all three of the Landsdowns back to the garage.

"I got Dr. K to forge the marriage records for you so you'd have something to back up your story," he whispered to Scott along the way. "You're welcome!"

Scott wasn't quite ready to say "thank you" just yet, not when he now had to spend an entire afternoon awkwardly pretending to be Summer's husband for her parents' benefit. And awkward was exactly the word to describe the atmosphere in the garage, as Scott and Summer found themselves facing her parents with no idea at all what to say or what to do next.

"So, uh," Scott began. There weren't a lot of fun things to do in Corinth to begin with. The list of fun things to do while on a double-date with your pretend-wife's parents was even smaller. He had absolutely no idea what to say or do, so he put the ball in Summer's court. "What would you like to do today, Honey?"

"We could go take a walk through the park," she suggested, managing a sickly-sweet smile. "Like we usually do."

Scott turned to her parents. "So, you two up for a walk through the park?" he asked. He stubbornly ignored the little voice in his head that kept saying, _they're never gonna fall for this._

They looked at each other, as if they were trying to figure out if the park was too 'middle class' for them or not. Finally they turned to Scott and Summer, forced smiles plastered on their faces, and said, "We'd love to."

It was a bit of a hike over to the park, at least for the Landsdowns. Scott gathered that they never actually walked anywhere if they could help it, but he didn't offer to drive. He wasn't sure he wanted people like them anywhere near his car, so instead he slung an arm around Summer's shoulders as if it were the most perfectly normal thing, and led the long, awkward way to the park on foot.

By the time they finally reached their destination, Scott was actually starting to hope for Tenaya 7 or one of Venjix's other attack bots to show up, just so he and Summer would have an excuse to get away from her parents. As they strolled slowly along the paved path through the park, he kept hoping for a call from Dr. K or Flynn, or even Dillon or Ziggy. He would even have welcomed an interruption from his own father, anything to put an end to this 'date.'

Suddenly, Summer giggled.

"What?" he asked.

She smiled. "The look on your face. Is the idea of being married to me that bad?" she asked. Obviously she found this whole thing way more entertaining than he did.

"No!" he insisted, a little too loudly. Luckily, her parents had lagged behind enough not to overhear the topic of their conversation.

"Then stop looking like it," Summer suggested cheerfully.

"Sorry," he muttered, trying his best to look less frustrated as he realized her bubbly happiness was just an act. "It's just… your parents…" he trailed off, not sure whether his opinion of her parents might upset her.

"I understand," she said softly. "And… I'm sorry I never told you about them. I guess I just thought things were going so well when you and Flynn didn't know who I really was, and I didn't want that to change."

"Summer," he began, then stopped. He wanted to tell her that knowing she had been a spoiled rich girl wouldn't have changed anything, but in the beginning it might have. All he'd really known about her that first day was that she'd risked her life to save him from being trapped outside Corinth. If he'd known everything else about her, he might have been less quick to take her seriously. They might never have become such good friends.

Summer tripped suddenly, which surprised him because she wasn't usually clumsy. As Scott steadied her, realizing belatedly that the stumble was meant to keep her parents from noticing what she said, she glared at him and hissed, "Stop it. They're going to realize something's wrong."

"Something is wrong," he insisted right back, loudly enough for the Landsdowns to hear. "Your parents don't think I'm good enough for you."

For an instant Summer looked surprised. Then she grinned as she realized what he was doing: using his real irritation at her parents' quick rejection to make it look more like he was completely in love with her. At least, he hoped that was what it would seem like. "They will," she soothed. "I love you. And if you'll just spend some time with them, they'll see that and they'll see why."

He frowned at her, about to say something skeptical, but she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before he could think of anything. For a shocked instant he really couldn't think of anything to say, and then realized he was grinning like an idiot. Her parents, who had nearly caught up to them during their little 'spat' looked mightily displeased, which only made him happier.

"Now come on," Summer said. "Let's show my parents a good time."

The rest of the afternoon turned out not to be so bad. All he really had to do was pretend Summer's parents weren't there, or that they were at least nice people instead of rich snobs, and then it was actually enjoyable. The Landsdowns obviously weren't expecting much from their daughter in the way of public displays of affection, which meant there was at least a little less pressure on Scott. So they wandered all over the park, bought popcorn and cotton candy from a food cart (Summer's parents were unimpressed with such low-class fare), played several games at a carnival that just happened to be going on that day (where he won a gigantic stuffed bear for Summer, which she promptly gave away), and ended up sitting on a bench by the lake (with the Landsdowns thankfully taking an adjacent bench instead of cramming in next to them). By that time, with his arm around her and Summer snuggled up against him, Scott was beginning to wonder why he'd never really thought about dating her before. She was fun, she was smart, she was strong and determined and a great fighter, and she was _definitely_ pretty.

He'd just never thought about anything other than fighting Venjix and trying to prove himself to his father, not since Venjix destroyed civilization and everyone that was left had ended up in Corinth. He had always told himself that there would be time for a girlfriend –and a life– later on. But when was later? After Venjix was gone and Earth was safe?

Realistically, he had to admit that might never happen. They'd always been fighting against the odds, barely hanging on.

So what was he waiting for?

The afternoon calm was shattered by the sound of a sudden explosion across town. Far away from the park, smoke rose into the air over the city. Scott looked to Summer, the Landsdowns forgotten for the moment. "Did you see that?"

She nodded. "Think we should call the others?"

Scott didn't want to wish danger on the city or its inhabitants, but he desperately wanted an excuse to call off this date before he could blow it. So he nodded, whipped out his phone, and contacted Dr. K at the lab. "Dr. K," he began, "we heard –"

"I know what you heard, Ranger Series Operator Red," Dr. K responded, sounding bored. "And the other Rangers have the situation under control. There's been a break-in at Corinth's central bank." Emphatically: "That's all."

"But," he protested. Bank robberies didn't usually lead to explosions like that, which to Scott's mind meant that Venjix must be involved somehow. And _that_ meant that he and Summer should head over to help their fellow Rangers, and…

"Stay where you are," Dr. K ordered. The signal went dead before he could argue with her.

"What's going on?" Mrs. Landsdown demanded. Her husband was right beside her, both of them looking frightened and accusing at the same time.

"Nothing," Summer said, forcing a smile. "Everything's fine."

"The other Power Rangers have everything under control," Scott assured them.

Mr. Landsdown was skeptical. "Are you sure?"

Scott fought to keep his voice as pleasant as possible. "Yeah. I just talked to Dr. K and she said not to worry about it."

"You can trust Flynn, Dillon, and Ziggy," Summer added. "Whatever's going on, they'll take care of it."

Mrs. Landsdown turned to her husband. "Are you sure it's safe for our daughter to be doing this? Those explosions, it all seems so… dangerous."

Scott couldn't believe it. Did these two really not know what the Power Rangers did? After all this time since the shields went up around Corinth, he thought everyone knew what the Power Rangers did and what they went up against when they fought Venjix's forces. Apparently he'd been wrong.

Another explosion rumbled through the city, closer this time. By now the Landsdowns were clearly concerned. _Great,_ Scott thought, _first they don't think I'm worthy of marrying their daughter because I'm not some rich snob, now they don't trust me at all. Could this day get any worse?_

He should have known better, of course. But he thought it anyway.

What followed was a series of explosions that told him his fellow Rangers' fight wasn't going nearly as well as it should have gone. They might be dealing with a massive attack bot in a few minutes, to judge by the columns of smoke drifting up against the dome's false sky. The damage was still pretty distant, but getting the civilians to cover was starting to seem like a good idea to Scott. He and Summer might be needed as Power Rangers any moment…

"Come on," he said. "We should head back to the garage, just in case."

He and Summer hadn't yet had time to corral her parents, much less convince them that going back was a good idea when a familiar voice called out, "Ah, Ranger Red and Ranger Yellow… I was just looking for you!"

Scott and Summer whirled around, instinctively taking defensive stances as they came face to face with Tenaya 7. She was strolling casually along the path, as if she had every right to be there. As if she had guessed what they were thinking, she said, "Your friends are busy with Venjix's latest attack bot. But before it can reach its full power potential, there's something I need from you."

"Yeah, well, whatever it is, you can't have it," Scott told her.

Tenaya laughed. "You think you can stop me. Very cute, Ranger Red. But this is too important to let you get in my way. You see, I need a class four black diamond."

He didn't see the connection. "So?"

"There's only one class four black diamond left in existence," Tenaya said, impossibly smug.

"The black Landsdown diamond," Summer murmured, looking horrified. Clearly this was something else she'd never seen fit to share with the rest of her team, because Scott had no idea what she was talking about.

"Exactly. I looked for it at the bank first," Tenaya went on, grinning triumphantly, as if she'd already found –and stolen– the diamond. "And when it wasn't in the vault, I thought, 'Who do I know that's a Landsdown?'"

"Then you made a big mistake, Tenaya," Summer said. "I don't have the diamond. Not anymore."

"No," Tenaya agreed, "but _they_ do."

"Mom, Dad," Summer asked, her parents' sheepish expressions all she needed to confirm her fears. "Why would you bring something like that here with you?"

"To remind you of who you really are, Dear," her father answered. Scott half expected him to pull the diamond out of his pocket to prove his point, but by some miracle he didn't.

As much as he loathed Summer's parents, Scott wasn't about to let Tenaya anywhere near them, diamond or no diamond. He and Summer interposed themselves between Tenaya and the Landsdowns. Scott wondered if they would be smart enough to run if he told them to, but then he caught sight of the Grinders lurking behind the trees and shrubs off to the side. He guessed there were more Grinders circling all around them, to make sure nobody could get away without a fight. So much for his plan. With that many Grinders nearby, distracting Tenaya would be the least of their problems.

"Summer," Scott began.

"I see them," she acknowledged, her gaze not shifting from Tenaya even as the other civilians realized the danger and fled screaming from the park. "Got a plan?"

Even if he did, Tenaya wasn't about to just stand there and let him explain it. She rushed at the gap between him and Summer, trying to break through to the Landsdowns, but the Rangers reacted quickly to block her.

There wasn't a lot they could do right now but try to keep her occupied and hope her Grinders wouldn't go straight for the Landsdowns while they were at it. Thinking quickly, Scott tried to lure Tenaya into turning her back on Summer. If he could just get her attention on him, Summer could try to get her parents out of here and into hiding somewhere. Or at least, that was the plan.

But Tenaya either knew what he was up to or was too focused on getting the black diamond to care, because nothing he did could deter her from going after Summer. And for her part, Summer was equally determined to keep Tenaya and the Grinders away from her parents. But they were vastly outnumbered. It seemed like two more Grinders popped up to take the place of every one that Summer took down.

By the third time Tenaya tossed him out of the way, Scott was getting tired of this fight. The Landsdowns were clinging to each other in terror, circled by Grinders, while Summer tried to keep Tenaya at bay. "This isn't working," Scott muttered, wondering where in Corinth the other Rangers were. Dr. K couldn't have been more wrong when she said their teammates had the situation under control. Whatever the other Rangers were fighting across town, it was only a decoy.

Scott wished he could let Dr. K and the others know what was really going on, but between Tenaya and the Grinders there wasn't time. Calling in for backup would have meant letting Tenaya or her minions get to the Landsdowns, and there was no way he was going to let them get Summer's parents or their diamond. So he charged right back in as Tenaya sent Summer tumbling, delivering a powerful kick to her lower back that sent her sprawling right after Summer. "What are you doing?" he shouted, glancing over at the Landsdowns. "Get out of here!"

Summer was on her feet again, rushing over to help them, but it was too late. The Grinders had closed in on her parents and were already searching for the diamond. One of them pulled a small black jewelry box from Mr. Landsdown's coat pocket, opening it to reveal a large gem on a silver chain that must have been the black Landsdown diamond. Tenaya left Scott and Summer alone for the moment in favor of retrieving the diamond from the Grinder.

While she was occupied, Scott fished his morpher out of his pocket. "Summer, you ready?"

Her morpher was already in her hand. "Ready!"

Together, they shouted, "R.P.M.: get in gear!"

Power surged through the two Rangers as they morphed. Tenaya didn't even look back. She knew the drill too well, and was too self-confident, to bother with them now that she had what she'd come for. Even morphed, she didn't see them as a threat. Scott charged at her, but she turned just before he could land a kick, deflecting the blow with ease. She blocked Summer's attack, too, her expression smug.

The ground shook as an explosion erupted at the edge of the park. During the fight with Tenaya and the Grinders, Scott hadn't noticed the explosions coming closer and closer, but they must have. Leaving Summer to keep Tenaya busy, he turned and caught sight of something racing toward them out of the smoke from the explosion. And unfortunately, it didn't look like any of their teammates. It had to be an attack bot.

He should have known. Tenaya wouldn't go to all the trouble of getting that diamond unless it was part of a bigger plan to power up an attack bot. And now it was too late. She already had the diamond, and had put half a dozen Grinders between herself and the Rangers. With the diamond in her possession and her latest attack bot on its way, Scott, Summer, and the Landsdowns might as well have ceased to exist at all.

Scott raced after her, realizing belatedly that Summer was no longer with him. An instant later her Zip Charger zoomed forward, ricocheting between the Grinders and clearing a path for Scott. He rushed ahead, hot on Tenaya's heels. She wasn't going to get that diamond to the attack bot if he had anything to say about it.

She became aware of him again just as he caught up with her. He reached out to grab her and missed by an inch as she turned. She was still grinning, certain of her victory; he would have liked nothing better than to wipe that expression clear off her face. Preferably with his Street Saber. At the mental cue, the weapon appeared in his hands. He lunged, slashing, but Tenaya parried the attack and whirled to escape. She didn't get far, though, because Summer had caught up.

Tenaya grunted as she blocked Summer's furious punches. "Don't you Rangers know when to give up?" she grumbled.

The two of them might have had a shot at getting the diamond away from her, if the attack bot hadn't come running up right then. Flashing one last triumphant grin at the Rangers, Tenaya tossed the diamond to the attack bot. It looked like nothing so much as an old-fashioned camera with arms and legs, and it gobbled the diamond right up.

Flynn, Dillon, and Ziggy caught up too late, but they were just in time to join Scott and Summer in watching with dismay as the attack bot began to grow. Scott had a feeling the Landsdowns were going to be less than impressed with his leadership skills after this. He had to do something before that attack bot got to full strength… if it powered up fully, he and the other Rangers would have much, much worse things to deal with than Summer's parents.

Now, Scott realized, was not the time to get stuck on Summer's parents. Now was the time to focus on Corinth and the fate of humanity. The Landsdowns, and their stupid diamond, could wait.

He shouted an order. With practiced ease that belied the short time they'd actually been working together, his teammates rushed to obey, helping him assemble the R.P.M. Enforcer. Combining the power of all of their individual weapons, it was their only chance to take the attack bot down before it could reach full size and full power. They only had a few seconds: they had to get it right the first time. And they did.

Unable to deflect or absorb the Enforcer's attack, the camera bot exploded into fire and shrapnel, taking the black Landsdown diamond to oblivion with it. Predictably, by the time the dust cleared, Tenaya 7 was long gone. The rest of the team celebrated their victory, but both Scott and Summer were quiet. There was no telling how this would go over when they had to face Summer's parents.

And since the Landsdowns hadn't fled with the rest of the civilians during the attack, they were waiting when the Rangers powered down. Scott half expected crossed arms and impatiently tapping feet from the Landsdowns, but they seemed more confused and shocked than anything else. As if they had only just realized for the very first time how important Summer's role as a Power Ranger really was, her parents boggled.

Thankfully, Ziggy and Flynn managed to keep Dillon at a safe distance while Scott and Summer confronted the Landsdowns. Scott briefly considered apologizing for the loss of the diamond, but quickly decided against it. What had they been thinking, carrying something like that around town with them? Although he had to admit, with Tenaya around it probably hadn't been much safer in the bank vault.

"Summer, honey," Mr. Landsdown began.

"Mom, Dad," Summer cut in, looking from one parent to the other in exasperation. "Do you see now why it's so important for me to be a Power Ranger? They need me," she said. "Scott needs me."

"But you promised us you'd marry Chaz," her mother protested.

"I know I did," Summer admitted. "But I belong _here_. And I can't be here if I'm married to Chaz Winchester. You know what he's like."

To Scott's amazement, it looked as if the Landsdowns might be on the brink of giving up. And then it was gone. "You _promised_," Mr. Landsdown repeated. Like that would somehow make Summer rethink her decision.

"So I broke my promise. It's not the first time someone in this family made a promise and didn't follow through. And why are you two so set on me marrying Chaz, anyway?" Summer demanded. Scott was pleased to see that she was finally out of patience with her parents, though the hurt in her voice surprised him. Quietly, she added, "I never even liked him."

The Landsdowns were silent for a long time, looking guiltier with each second that ticked past. Finally, Mr. Landsdown said, "It wasn't about whether you liked him or not. We needed you to marry him… for the money. We're broke!"

His wife added forlornly, "We have no money."

Summer's brow furrowed in confusion. "But…"

"Everyone knows the Landsdowns are filthy rich," Scott protested.

"_Were_ filthy rich," Mr. Landsdown corrected. "When Venjix attacked, everything we had was in investments. It was all just blips on a computer screen. Now…"

"We have no money," Mrs. Landsdown echoed, as if she still couldn't quite believe it. Snapping out of it, she added, "All we had left was that diamond. And our daughter. We only kept the diamond as long as we did so everyone would still think we were rich. We only needed to keep up the act until we could marry Summer into a family with real money. And now we don't have Summer _or_ the diamond! We don't have anything!"

Summer looked at her parents with pity in her eyes. Scott couldn't bring himself to go that far. What kind of parents tried to marry their only daughter off for money?

The Landsdowns turned on their daughter. "You're always saying you want to help people," Mr. Landsdown said. "But it seems like you want to help everyone but us."

The expression on Summer's face, like her heart was breaking and she wanted to start shouting in rage at the same time, made Scott wonder what else about her past he didn't know.

"You're really not going to marry Chaz?"

Did they honestly think that if they kept asking, the answer would eventually change? Summer stared at them in mute fury, refusing to back down, and Scott figured it was time to step in. He inched closer to Summer, hoping she would stand stronger with him supporting her. "You keep talking about this like I'm not even here," he said as calmly as possible. "But I'm pretty sure this concerns me. I'm not going to give Summer up just so you can have more money."

The Landsdowns looked at him as if they were only just noticing him now. Scott stared right back, wondering how in the world two people this self-centered and obnoxious had managed to have a daughter like Summer.

Begrudgingly, Summer's parents turned to each other with sheepish looks on their faces. Summer's expression was as strained and tired as Scott felt.

"He lost the diamond," Mrs. Landsdown pointed out in a loud whisper, like Scott and Summer couldn't hear, and like the diamond's destruction had been solely Scott's fault. Clearly, she felt that Venjix and Tenaya hadn't had anything to do with it. Scott tried his best not to roll his eyes at this latest foolishness.

"True," Mr. Landsdown agreed with his wife. "But he did help save us from that lady and her monsters." The tone of his voice suggested a shocking change in his opinion of Scott.

Somehow, he'd spent the day thinking that their approval would mean something to him. Instead, it irritated him that now they were evaluating him, rather than stopping to consider what their daughter wanted. But he wasn't about to back down. If he needed to convince them to approve of him to make them leave Summer alone, then that was exactly what he intended to do. He stared them down, silently daring them to say something to him or Summer.

Between his staunch insistence, Summer's determination, and the evidence Dr. K had forged, the Landsdowns really had no recourse. All they really had was their desire for money and an unwritten promise from Summer, and they knew it. And now they knew, too, that they couldn't push Summer around anymore. She was her own person, and she had Scott and Dillon and Flynn and Ziggy, and even Dr. K, to make sure no one tried to manipulate her ever again. Scott would never admit it, but Dillon had been right when he said no one could tell Summer what to do.

The Landsdowns seemed to realize they were beaten at about the same time that Scott did.

"This is really your decision?" Mrs. Landsdown asked her daughter.

Summer nodded. She reached for Scott's hand, found it, leaned comfortably into him. The tension that had seemed to radiate from her began to disappear. "It is."

"But… with the black diamond gone and you refusing to marry Chaz, how are we supposed to live?"

"Like ordinary people?" Summer suggested, far more patiently than Scott could have done. "You could try getting jobs."

"Jobs?"

Scott would have liked to simply throw his hands up and walk away at that point, but Summer's grip on his hand kept him there. Lacking any option for escape as Summer began to explain the concept of working for a living to her parents, he sourly wished that Dillon had been the one dumb enough to claim he'd married Summer. But he supposed if the Landsdowns were trying to figure out another way to get by, that meant he and Summer had won. And that was something, at least.

Later that night, long after the Landsdowns had gone away, after everyone else had gone to bed, Scott sat in the garage by himself, thinking. This had been one messed up day, and he was glad it was finally over. The Landsdowns had gone home and, better yet, they'd agreed that Summer could stay on as Ranger Yellow for as long as she wanted, and she didn't have to go marry Chaz Winchester or anyone else if she didn't want to. He and Summer had opted not to tell them that the marriage had been a sham, just in case.

All in all, they'd won the day on more than one count, but his head was so full of questions and wildly wandering thoughts that he couldn't even think about sleep just yet.

"Mind if I join you?" Summer asked from the metal staircase that led upstairs to the Rangers' bedrooms.

Scott shrugged. "Sure."

"Today was quite a day," she murmured, taking a seat next to him at the table.

"You can say that again," he agreed. "And look, Summer, I'm sorry I lied to your parents about being married to you like that. I should've asked first." He sighed, feeling like an idiot for the umpteenth time that day. "If I'd had more time, I could've come up with a better plan."

She managed a smile. "It's okay, Scott. You had my back… How could I be upset about that? It was just sudden, and I had no idea if it would work."

He had to laugh. "For a while there, I didn't think it would," he admitted. "If Ziggy and Dr. K hadn't been able to come up with proof like they did, your parents never would've believed it."

"I guess it's a good thing we're Power Rangers, not actors," she commented, badly hiding her amusement. Sobering, she said, "I'm glad you were willing to fight for me. You and the others. Before, I would have done whatever my parents wanted me to do, hoping that it would make them actually care about me."

Watching her now, Scott wondered just how many promises her parents had made and not kept over the years. He didn't have the heart to ask. "You're worth it, Summer," he told her. "How could we not fight to keep you with us? You're part of our team. A very important part of our team. If something like today is what it takes to make sure you can stick around, then I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

She gave him a wry look. "Even the double date with my parents?"

"Even that," he said, because it was true. "Though that would've been a lot more fun without them." He hadn't intended to say that last part, not really, but it was true, too. And it made Summer smile, the first time she'd genuinely smiled all day.

"You know," she said, still smiling. "If Dr. K ever lets us have another day off after this, I wouldn't mind another afternoon in the park… minus my parents."

Scott struggled to wrap his mind around this revelation. He had to agree with her, though. He wouldn't mind that, either. They hadn't had a lot of chances to spend time together away from the garage lately. It had been nice to have an afternoon to just be themselves. As friends, or maybe more than that. Still, he couldn't resist prodding back a bit. "You can say it, Summer: you wouldn't really mind being married to me."

They both had a good laugh over that one, remembering how he'd just blurted it out to her parents earlier. "Better you than Chaz Winchester," she decided finally, rolling her eyes.

He was morbidly curious. "He's that bad, huh?"

"Worse. I'll tell you all about it sometime."

"I'm not sure I want to know," he said.

"In excruciating detail," she went on. "Consider it payback for today."

Feeling rather horrified at the idea, he protested, "But you said you weren't upset."

"I'm not," she said with a slightly wicked smile that suggested she still might seek some sort of revenge. "Just give me a little more warning next time you want to pretend we're married."

"Promise me you'll give me more warning next time your parents decide to drop by, and you've got a deal," he countered.

After everything the day had thrown at them, it felt good to end it with a laugh.


End file.
